John zedora



{No Model.) A J.ZEDORA.

GYMNASTIG APPARATUS.

No. 562,448 PatentedJune 23, 1896.

AN DREW BJRANAM, PNOTQUTNQWASHING'ION DID. I

UNITED STATES PAT NT OrrIcE;

JOHN ZEDORA, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

GYIHVINASTIC APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,448, dated June 23, 189 6.

Application filed 119119111561 30, 1895. Serial No. 570,634. (No model.) Patented in England November 16, 1894, No, 22,161; in Germany March 28, 1895, No. 83,816, and in France April 2,1895,No.246,332.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ZEDORA, aerial gymnast, a subject of Her Majesty the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 32 Darnley Road, Hackney, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented a new and useful Apparatus for Projecting Gymnasts Through Space, (for which I have obtained a patent in Great Britain, No. 22,161, dated November 16, 1894; in Germany, No. 83,816, dated March 28, 1895, and in France, No. 246,332, dated April 2, 1895,) of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a new or improved apparatus for projecting gymnasts through the air or space in the same manner as an arrow is projected from the bow of an archer, and with such velocity and force that the performer may be shot forward therefrom a sufficient distance to enable him or her to catch the bar of a stationary or swinging trapeze or be caught by another person, or alight upon a net or the like situated a distance away from the apparatus, and my invention is so designed that the performer takes the place of the arrow, while the construction of the apparatus is such as to as near as possible (consistent with its necessary structural stability) resemble abow, and it is intended that the performance of and with the apparatus shall convey to the audience the action of such a bow and arrow, for which purpose it is my intention that the performer of the said performance shall be known as and called The human arrow.

In order that my invention and the manner of its operation may be fully understood, 1 have hereunto annexed a sheet of drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire apparatus as it would appear when in use at the last moment preceding the ejection of the performer therefrom. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the under surface of the apparatus as it would appear immediately after the performer had been projected therefrom. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the apparatus when in the position shown by Fig. 1, in which the bow is shown broken oif to facilitate the clearness of the illustration,

My invention consists of a flat plank or board A, perfectly smooth upon its upper surface, and preferably pointed at its front end, and upon this I mount afoot-rest B, free to slide longitudinally thereon, and upon the under surface of this I provide a row of any number of studs, pins, or hooks O, and upon the under surface of A, at or near the head thereof, I fix. a corresponding row, consisting of a like number of similar studs, pins, or hooks D, and with these two rows I cause'to engage the ends of a like number of elastic cords or springs E, preferably of rubber or rubber composition. Upon the under surface of A, in front of and near to the row D, I fix, by cleats, clamps, screws, pins, dowels, or

their equivalents F, the center of a springbow F, which, with the exception of being of larger dimensions and greater tensional strength, may be of the same material and like in construction to that of an archers bow, having at one each an eye, loop, hook, or theirequivalent F and F, to which are connected the one ends of a pair of cords, wires, or guts G G, the opposite ends of which are connected to apair of eyes, loops, or hooks H H, at the sides of or other convenient parts of the foot-rest B. The apparatus when fixed in position for use may be suspended at any desired angle approaching the horizontal,with the front orpointed end of Athe highest, such angle being governed to some extent by the distance to and the direction in which the performer may desire to be projected, and this having been decided upon the apparatus would be held rigid in that position by the aid of guy ropes or wires J, for the reception of which any number of hooks, screw-eyes, loops, slotted plates,or their equiva1ents,such as K, may be screwed into or otherwise perinanently or portably fixed upon the board A in such positions as maybe most convenient.

The back end of the board A may be provided with a revolving roller L, carried in plates M, fixed upon A, and to this is attached one end of a cord, wire, or the like N, the opposite end of which has an eye or loop by which it may be attached to a hook or stud 0 upon the foot-rest B. The roller L would be provided with a suitable number of holes nected to the hook or the like 0 on B, when,

by the aid of the levers R engaging with the holes P, the roller L would be rotated and the cord N wound thereon, and by this means the foot-rest B would be brought to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, when the cords E and the bow F would all be in tension, as

therein shown, in which position it would be retained by a hook or the like 13 upon B, engaging with an eye or the like upon A, or

vice versa, or a slip-hook, leash, strap and buckle, or other device easily and quickly disengaged, may be employed for this purpose, and when 13 is thus retained the cord N may be released from the device 0 at any moment prior to the projection of the artist. The performer would then place himself as fiat and as rigid as possible upon theboard A, with his feet firmly-set against the rest B, as shown at Fig. 1, when at a given-signalthe attendant would releasethe said leash, hook, or its equivalent B,.and the artist would be im me diatelythrust forward and off the board A bythe combined tensions of the rubber or other springs E and the bow F, as would be an arrow from a bow, and he or she may be either caught by some other artist or by graspingsome swinging or stationary object, such as the bar of a trapeze, or may fall into a net or otherwise, as may be arranged.

A hoop or ring covered with thin paper, painted or otherwise to imitate a target, may

be suspended and fixed in the path of the projected artist through which he or she would pass to give effect to the performance.

A curtain or other device may be suspended to, above, and below the apparatus, if desired, to hide from the audience the rubbers E and the foot-rest B and the manner of their operation.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In combination, in a projecting apparatus for gymnasts, a flat board adapted to receive the man, a bow at the front end of the board, a traveling foot-rest movable along the board, the connections between the crossbow and foot-rest, and means beneath the board attached thereto at one end and to the foot-rest at the other end, said means being adapted to coact with the bow for moving the foot-rest, substantially as described.

2. In combination, the board adapted to receive'the gymnast, the traveling foot-rest, a cross-bow at the front of the board connected to the foot-rest, and a series of springs arranged side by side beneath the board, at-

- tachedthereto at one end and to the foot-rest at the other end, substantially as described.

3. In combination,tl1e board, the cross-bow, the traveling foot-rest connected to the bow, the winding roller at the rear end of the board, the connection therefrom to the foot-rest and means for turning the winding-roller, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

JOIIN ZEDORA. \Vitnesses SAMUEL JOHN EARL, GEORGE THOMAS HYDE. 

